


Guardian

by Dreamshaper



Category: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
Genre: Another AU haha, Canon-Typical Violence, Dinah pissed off Sionis and needs help, F/F, Some Fluff, Some fight scenes, and some angst, luckily she finds someone who's very capable
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-21 03:21:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30015369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamshaper/pseuds/Dreamshaper
Summary: When Dinah quits her job at the Black Mask club, her former boss is quick to let her know he's not happy. Aware of the danger she is in, Dinah seeks protection, but finds more than a guardian in the process.
Relationships: Helena Bertinelli/Dinah Lance
Comments: 24
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> New fic :D This pairing it still very inspiring to me, so I'll keep 'em coming, haha. Hope you'll enjoy :D

“Shit, I’m nervous”, Dinah declares as she checks her make-up once more, just to be on the safe side; behind her, Cassandra rolls her eyes, then reaches out and pokes her in the back, and Dinah yelps before she turns to glare at her, the teenager unimpressed by her stern look.

“Stop it”, she says, shaking her head for emphasis, but thankfully not poking her again, “you’re gonna be great, you know it. Come on! This is supposed to be your big night.”

Dinah nods, she knows this is true, it is a big night for her - after almost two years of singing in one of the sleazier clubs of town, she finally has managed to get noticed, and has been asked to audition for a musical, it’s certainly not the Broadway, but she knows it will be a foot in the door, and better than the place where she has been singing so far.

The audition has gone well, she’s not gotten the lead role, but has been cast in one of the bigger supporting parts; and not only has she landed that job, but she also has managed to get Cassandra on board too as her assistant, making sure the girl can earn some money of her own and doesn’t need to keep picking pockets, even though they’d had to lie about her age to get her the job.

They both are fine with that though, Dinah would rather lie and claim Cass just looks young for her age than know she is out and about stealing from people; she’s been quite worried the girl will end up with her hand in the wrong pocket one day, and now, with the job she’s gotten her, she not only knows Cass makes money, but also can keep an eye on her.

“Okay”, Dinah forces her thoughts back to the upcoming show, she still has a few minutes, but her heart already is beating fast in her chest, “almost showtime.”

“You can do it”, Cass cheers her on, earning a somewhat wry smile from the singer, “and some bigshot producer will see you, and cast you as the lead in his show, or offer you a record deal, and then you’ll get rich and famous!”

“Right”, Dinah says with a small laugh, the teenager grinning back at her, “let’s hope you’re right. Okay, I gotta get to the stage, with me luck.”

“Break a leg”, Cass tells her in response, and Dinah rolls her eyes; she takes another moment to check her costume and make-up, then takes a few deep breaths before she heads out.

She feels nervous again as she waits for her cue, wondering if she’ll end up forgetting her lines or will freeze up or maybe stumble and fall flat on her face; then, the line which signals her entrance is said on stage, and all nervousness is gone as she practically struts out onto the stage, applause greeting her as she sings her first lines.

To her immense relief, she does good, she doesn’t forget any of her lines, doesn’t stumble and fall and hits all the right notes; her part might not be the biggest, but she knows it’s a start, and she’s determined to do it well, on the off chance that someone in the audience is someone with influence in this business and wants to give her a chance at something bigger. 

She knows chances for that aren’t exactly big, but it has happened before; and while it’s not a big role, Dinah is determined to show that she can do this, and gives her best, feeling good and confident when her part is for the moment over and she returns backstage, the man who has invited her to audition two weeks ago grinning at her and giving her a thumbs up, signalling she has done a good job.

Cass is waiting for her with a bottle of water, already opened and not too cold, just as Dinah likes it after singing; she thanks her as she accepts it and takes a few big gulps from it, her part isn’t over yet and she’ll have to get back out on stage again soon, but after how well her first part has gone, she’s not as nervous anymore.

There’s some time before she has to go back out on stage for her second part, and Dinah uses that time to finish her water and to stretch a little bit, as her next number has more dancing; when the time comes, it goes just as well as her first part though, she gets through the songs and the dancing with no trouble, and when they all bow after the show has ended, there’s a lot of applause and nobody boos or throws things, and everyone around her is smiling.

“Great, just great”, the man who has cast her praises her as he walks up to where she is wiping sweat off her brow backstage, “I knew you would be brilliant in this role. And you’ll only get bigger from here on out, let me tell you that.”

“Thank you”, Dinah smiles, happy about the praise, she knows she has done a good job, but she has worked with people for whom the best is never good enough before, and she’s glad this guy is not like that; he grins at her again and gives her a thumbs up, then moves on to the lady who’s playing the lead, praising her just as much, his voice fading away though as Dinah makes her way to the little room she can call her own here, to change out of her costume and remove her make-up.

Cassandra is right behind her, excitedly talking about how great Dinah has been, the singer amused and touched at her excitement; she lets her go on as they reach the backstage room and she starts with getting rid of the make-up, shushes her though when there’s a knock at the door, wondering who this might be, but figuring it’s someone from the cast or from the producers, perhaps to tell her what she can do better next time, she somehow doubts everyone will praise her as much as the man who has cast her. 

She pulls the door open, smiling her polite smile just in case; the guy in front of the door doesn’t smile back at her, just stares at her coldly, and he’s strangely familiar, Dinah holding back a frown as she wonders if she has met him before.

“Dinah Lance”, he says, and the voice is familiar too, but she can’t quite place him, not yet - not until he goes on, her breath catching in her throat and her eyes going wide in response to his next words.

“Roman Sionis sends his regards”, he says, and now he does smile as he takes in her reaction, he can tell the name alone is enough to frighten her, “he’s enjoyed your performance tonight.”

The mere thought of Sionis sitting in the audience and watching her makes Dinah’s stomach turn, and from the way the man’s smirk widens, he can tell; he leans closer, and actually chuckles when Dinah takes a step back, Cassandra watching the interaction with growing concern.

“He’d love to see you in his club, Friday night”, the guy lets Dinah know, and now, she feels as if she might throw up any moment, “and he wanted me to tell you, if you can’t make it, Mr Zsasz will bring his next message.”

And with that, the man turns and leaves, still smirking to himself at her reaction; Dinah closes the door, then makes her way to her chair and heavily sits down, Cass moving closer in worry, an audible tremble in her voice when she says her name, clearly, seeing Dinah like this upsets her.

“What was that about”, Cass wants to know when Dinah looks at her, “who was that guy and who’s Mr Zsasz?”

“My former boss”, Dinah tells her, having to swallow heavily before she can go on, “and Zsasz is the guy who… does his dirty work for him. So if I don’t show up on Friday…”

“Then?” Cassandra prompts, even though she’s not sure anymore she wants to know; Dinah pulls in another deep breath, and somehow, manages to keep her voice steady when she answers, even though her insides are in knots.

“Then he’ll send Zsasz after me”, she tells Cassandra, “and Zsasz is going to kill me.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Okay, we gotta do something”, Cass decides once she has gotten over the shock Dinah’s words have caused, “call the cops or something!”

“The cops won’t be able to do much”, Dinah points out, prompting the teenager to grimace, “it’s not like he outright threatened me. He was vague enough to make it sound harmless, to anyone who… doesn’t know Sionis and Zsasz.”

“Still, the cops will know”, Cassandra insists, then brightens as an idea hits her, “wait! I know whom to talk to! That cop who’s arrested me like a dozen times, she’ll help!”

Dinah isn’t quite sure how a cop who has arrested Cass that often will be helpful, but she figures it’s worth a try, and certainly better than just sitting around; and to her amazement, Cassandra tells her that she has the number of the cop in question, and will give her a call.

“I’ll do that right now”, she announces, already digging her phone out of her pocket, “no time to waste, she’ll help for sure.”

Dinah only has time to nod, then Cass is already dialling; and even though she knows that’s a bit impolite, Dinah leans closer to her so she can hear what the cop is saying, and thus picks up the weary tone of the woman’s voice when she takes the call.

“Cass”, she greets, making it clear that she knows exactly who is calling, to Dinah’s growing surprise, “please tell me you didn’t pick some pockets again.”

“Nooo”, Cassandra lets out, “I’m calling for a friend! Here, she’ll tell you what is going on.”

She pushes the phone in Dinah’s hands, the singer blinking, not quite having expected that; then, she clears her throat and holds the phone to her ear, and there’s silence on the other end of the line, prompting her to wonder if the cop has hung up in the five seconds it has taken her to recover.

“Hello?” she tries, relieved when there’s an answer; the woman sounds a bit impatient as she says “yes?”, but she’s not hanging up, and Dinah figures that is a good start. 

“Hello”, she says again, then realizes she is repeating herself and makes a face, quickly going on before the woman might think she’s an imbecile, “my name’s Dinah Lance, Cass is, uhm, working with me. And I need your help.”

“Okay”, the woman said, “nice to meet you, I suppose, I’m Detective Renee Montoya. Need my help with what exactly?”

“I don’t want to tell you this over the phone”, Dinah admits, glad when there’s no bad reaction to this, “can we meet somewhere? Like, now?”

“The Blue Boat”, Renee tells her in response, it’s a place Dinah has heard of, a bar near GCPD and often frequented by cops, “in half an hour. Cass knows what I look like.”

“Thank you”, Dinah sighs, then tells the detective she’ll be there before she ends the call; she thanks Cass as well for that contact, then realizes they should get moving, they have to go halfway across town to get to that bar and will have to be fast if she wants to make it there in time.

“We better get going”, she thus tells Cassandra, making her nod at once, “before we’ll be late and your cop friend gets impatient and leaves.”

Cassandra nods again, and they quickly head out together; normally, Dinah would have had drinks with the other cast members and the staff, but she knows she has no time for that now, she has to get to this bar quick and get help - before Sionis and Zsasz can get their hands on her.

* * *

The cop is already there when Dinah and Cassandra arrive; some of the other patrons give them both curious looks, but nobody says anything, and they all pointedly look away when they see with whom the two are sitting down.

“Thank you for meeting me”, Dinah decides to start politely after they’ve shaken hands, “really, I appreciate it.”

“Tell me what’s going on”, Renee says in response, apparently not wanting to waste any time on pleasantries; and Dinah does, she tells her she has been working for Sionis the past two years, has quit there when she’s got the part in the musical, and of the visit of one of Sionis’ goons at her backstage room that night, after her first time on stage with the musical production.

Renee nods along, then asks what exactly that guy has said; and once Dinah has finished talking, she makes a face, then sighs as she leans back in her chair, and Dinah knows she won’t like what she’ll hear even before Renee does speak up.

“I’m sorry”, the detective says, Cassandra frowning, her frown deepening when the woman continues, “but there is nothing I can do. None of what that guy has said has been an actual threat.”

“Are you shitting me?” Cass demands, unimpressed when Renee raises her eyebrows at her, “you know Sionis and his buddy, right?”

“Yes”, Renee simply says, “but as a cop, there is nothing I can do, not as long as she isn’t outright threatened or…”

“Or until something actually happens”, Dinah finishes, unable to keep a bit of bitterness out of her voice, “yeah, I know the drill. So once Zsasz has flayed a few parts of me, I can come back to you for help, yeah?”

“That”, Renee replies dryly, earning a glare from Cass while Dinah frowns, sensing there is more to come, “or you can seek help from someone who’s not a cop.”

“A bodyguard?” Cass wants to know, looking a bit less pissed now while Dinah makes a thoughtful face, she hasn’t considered an actual bodyguard, but if the cops can’t help her, she figures it will be the next best thing, and it surely won’t hurt to have someone look out for her.

“Something like that”, Renee agrees, smirking a bit now, “and I know just who you should ask.”

She gives Dinah a place, and a name, and tells her to get there quickly, adding a description of the person in question just to be on the safe side; and once that has been taken care of, the detective declares she’ll drive Cass home, as the place she is sending Dinah to isn’t a good place for a teenager, Cassandra protesting for a bit, but giving in quickly when Dinah tells her it’s okay.

They part ways outside the bar, Cass and Renee walking to the detective’s car while Dinah goes to her own vehicle; she feels nervous as she drives, the location Renee has given her is in one of the seedier parts of town, but she tells herself it will be okay, surely Renee wouldn’t send her to a place which is actually dangerous for her, but she can’t help being nervous, and she hopes everything will work out well for her there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now whom will Renee have recommended? XD


	3. Chapter 3

The address Renee has given her turns out to be another bar, and one which looks even seedier from the outside than Sionis’ club does; Dinah can tell at once that the two guys standing in front of it are doing some sort of drug deal, and she expects similar shit to be going on inside, taking in a deep breath before she enters.

To her surprise, the inside of the bar looks much better than the outside, it’s cleaner than she would have dared to expect and while people are drinking and the music is loud, she can’t see anything illegal go on anywhere, having been halfway sure she’d walk into some sort of drug den when she has pushed the door open.

She lets her gaze wander over the guests as she makes her way to the bar, figuring she might as well get a drink; the bartender practically bounces over when Dinah sits down, and she raises her brows at her telltale pale skin and the colours in her hair, immediately recognizing her, but then, most people in Gotham would have.

Harley Quinn might not be the Joker’s girlfriend anymore, Dinah thinks to herself as she orders a beer, but even without him, she’s infamous, she’s easy to recognize, and Dinah finds herself wondering why she would work in a place like this, but then, even someone like Harley has to eat, and at the same instant, Dinah realizes she hasn’t read of any criminal exploits she’s pulled off for a while.

“Hi”, Harley greets her with a bright smile, then narrows her eyes at her, and Dinah feels oddly scrutinized, “hey! I know you! You’re that singer no one listens to.”

Dinah knows that Harley has been a regular at Sionis’ club, before the Joker has broken up with her, but it does surprise her that Harley apparently remembers her from that time; part of her wants to get angry at being addressed this way, but she tells herself to keep her calm, she might need Harley’s help to find the person she is looking for, so it wouldn’t do to be rude and piss her off.

“Right”, she thus just says, “Dinah. And I know you too, you’re Harley.”

“Correct!” Harley grins, putting the beer down in front of her, “you looking for a new place to sing at? Sorry, but you’re at the wrong spot then, we’re not looking for that kind of entertainment.”

“No, I’m not”, Dinah tells her, and even though Harley just has told her that they’re not looking for a singer for this place, she pouts, “but I am looking for… someone. Someone I heard I can find here.”

“Ooooh”, Harley lets out, leaning forward on the bar and looking at her with wide eyes, “mysterious. Who are you looking for?”

“I’m told her name’s Huntress”, Dinah says, and Harley smirks at once, the singer figuring this is a clear sign she knows the woman, “and that I can find her here.”

“Hey!” Harley hollers in response, making Dinah jump, “Huntress! Pretty lady here to talk to you!”

Dinah turns on her seat as she’s curious to see who will react to this, and the woman who does fits Renee’s description; she’s tall, Dinah sees when she gets up from her seat at a table near the door, her sleeveless shirt shows that she’s in  _ very _ good shape, the short hair and hard eyes fitting the description as well as the woman strides over to the bar.

“Here”, Harley helpfully says, gesturing at Dinah, the singer staring quite unabashedly, she’s always had a thing for tall, dark and jacked, and that woman checks all those boxes, “Dinah, Huntress. Huntress, Dinah.”

“Nice to meet you”, Dinah says, smiling, even though her smile fades when Huntress just studies her in response; she doesn’t say anything, not even when Dinah waits for her to, and after a few tense seconds have ticked by, Dinah starts feeling quite awkward, something she isn’t very used to.

“What do you want”, Huntress finally does say something, ignoring it when Harley throws in that she’s being rude; Dinah clears her throat, now not so sure anymore this has been a good idea, but on the other hand, she doesn’t have much of a choice, something she is all too aware of.

“I’ve been told you might be able to help me”, she thus says, unnerved by how the woman just looks at back at her, face and eyes unreadable, “I need… someone to look out for me.”

Huntress raises her eyebrows at that, but doesn’t say anything, and Dinah feels compelled to go on; and so, she quickly explains, telling the woman she has worked for Sionis and that she has quit when she has gotten the offer for the musical, and of the man who has shown up at her backstage room and of what he has said, adding that police can’t help her because it hasn’t been an actual threat, but that she knows what he has meant and that it will end badly for her if she doesn’t do what Sionis has said.

“I can pay you”, she adds when there’s not much of a reaction once she has finished talking, “not very much but… I’m sure we can figure something out…”

“I’m not for hire”, Huntress tells her, and Dinah blinks, this response surely isn’t what she has expected, “you got the wrong person.”

“No, it’s you”, Dinah protests at once, and Huntress raises her eyebrows again, clearly not used to someone arguing back at her, “Renee said you’d be able to help me out, she definitely said Huntress and the description fits, too.”

“Renee”, the taller woman repeats, Dinah feeling a bit relieved when she looks less stern at once, “Renee Montoya?”

“That one, yeah”, Dinah confirms, now daring another small smile, Huntress doesn’t smile back at her, but at least she doesn’t scowl at her anymore, either, so she figures that is a good start, “I asked her for help first but… she said as long as Sionis doesn’t actually threaten me, there is nothing they can do.”

Huntress just nods, then tells her to wait right there and, without waiting for her response, briskly walks past her; she vanishes in some small room behind the bar, and it doesn’t take long until she emerges again, a black duffel bag slung over her shoulder now, Dinah blinking again when the woman stops next to her and says that she’s ready to go.

“Just like that?” Dinah wants to know, just to be on the safe side, “you grab your bag and now you’re my bodyguard?”

“You want help or not?” Huntress answers Dinah’s question with one of her own; Dinah is quick to nod, before the woman might change her mind, and hops off the chair, Harley waving it off when she asks what she owes her for the beer.

“It’s on the house, just this once”, she then says, Dinah giving her a look of surprise and gratitude, “I’ll see you around. Huntress, make sure the creepster doesn’t get his hands on her.”   


Huntress lets out a vaguely agreeing noise, then gives Dinah another expectant look; the singer feels a bit awkward again at the way the taller woman is staring at her, but turns and makes her way to the exit, hearing Huntress follow her along.

“My car’s over there”, she states, gesturing at the vehicle in question, “you gonna ride with me…?”

“I have my own ride”, Huntress tells her, not really surprising her, “I’ll follow you.”

Dinah nods at that and gets into her car, and just a few moments later, Huntress pulls up next to her on a motorcycle; she gives her a nod through the window before she snaps down the visor of her helmet, right behind her as Dinah drives off.

This all feels decidedly surreal, and a bit absurd, Dinah ponders as she drives, but at least, she tells herself, she has someone on her side now, someone who’ll look out for her in case Sionis does make a move on her.

She only hopes that Huntress is as capable as Renee has claimed she is, and that she never will have to find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tsk tsk Huntress, don't be rude x)


	4. Chapter 4

Huntress glances around as they enter Dinah’s apartment, but if she has an thoughts about the place, her perfectly neutral expression doesn’t show them; for a moment, Dinah feels a bit lost, not sure what to do now, then figures that offering the woman is a seat is a good start, surprised again when Huntress shakes her head.

“Pack a bag”, the taller woman then practically orders, and once again Dinah can only stare at her, the woman really seems to cause this reaction a lot from her, she thinks to herself; Huntress blankly looks back at her, then seems to realize that Dinah has no idea why she would want her to do that, and that she should explain.

“Sionis knows where you live”, she says, once again not asking, but making it a statement, and Dinah has to admit she’s not wrong, “this is the first place where he will look for you. If you don’t show up on Friday.”

“Damn, you’re right”, Dinah has to agree, grimacing, “okay, fine I’ll pack but… Where are we going to go?”

“I have a place”, Huntress says, a bit cryptically, but the singer already has realized she’s not a very talkative woman, and so, she just decides to roll with it and nods, then makes her way to the bedroom to pack her bag. 

She throws a bunch of clothes into it, then moves on the bathroom and packs up her hygiene utensils there, and not even ten minutes after Huntress has told her to pack, she’s ready, finishing up by tossing the charger for her phone into the bag.

“I’m ready”, she declares as she finds Huntress in the living room again, the woman still standing near the door where Dinah has left her; she earns a short nod from her bodyguard - and doesn’t that feel strange, Dinah ponders as they leave the apartment together, the thought that she has an actual bodyguard now, something she never would have thought she’d experience.

“I’ll take the lead”, Huntress lets her know as they walk back down the stairs, Dinah nodding her agreement, “just follow me.”

It feels strange to leave her home behind like this, but Dinah knows it’s necessary, at least for the time being; she throws her bag onto the passenger seat, then gets behind the steering wheel and starts the engine, Huntress already on her bike and ready to go, looking back at her over her shoulder before she starts driving.

Dinah follows along behind her, glad that the woman is driving at a reasonable speed so that she can easily keep up, her car is working well enough for driving around Gotham, but would probably die a gruesome death if she’d try to use it in a car chase; she frowns as Huntress leads her to one of the wealthier parts of town, and keeps driving, past houses which get increasingly bigger, until they’re not simple houses anymore, but actual mansions. 

Huntress pulls up to one of the mansions at last, stopping at the massive iron gate which separates the driveway from the road; Dinah halfway expects her to hop off her bike and use the intercom built into the wall, perhaps, she ponders, the woman knows someone who lives in this place, and she has to admit it will be a good hiding place, Sionis would never look for her here in this rich area of town.

Instead of using the intercom, Huntress moves one hand to her jacket, Dinah can’t see what she is doing as she is parked behind her, but a few seconds later, the gate swings open and Huntress drives through; impressed, Dinah slowly drives along behind her, staring at the mansion appearing up ahead, it’s big, she’s fairly certain it’s bigger than the apartment building she lives in, and completely dark, not a single one of the many windows lit up.

Huntress drives all the way up to the front door, then stops her bike, prompting Dinah to do the same; she kills the engine before she grabs her bag and gets out of the car, walking up to where Huntress is waiting for her.

“Nice house”, Dinah comments, raising an eyebrow when the taller woman pulls a keyring from the inner pocket of her jacket and unlocks the door, halfway having expected her to pick the lock; her compliment earns her a shrug from the other woman, then Huntress enters and Dinah follows, nodding when the taller woman tells her she’ll show her to her room.

She leads her up the stairs and shows her to what Dinah assumes is a guest room, telling her that her room is right next door, Dinah making a face at what she says next.

“I’m a light sleeper”, Huntress tells her, “so no one should get in here without me noticing, but in case someone does manage to, just scream. I’ll hear.”

“Okay”, Dinah lets out, nervously glancing at the window as if Sionis’ goons might magically appear there out of nowhere, “let’s hope that won’t be necessary.”

Huntress gives a short nod, then tells her she should get some rest now; this in turn makes Dinah nod, and the taller woman leaves, gently closing the door behind herself, Dinah looking around the room though before she goes to bed.

She can tell it hasn’t been used in a while, it’s perfectly clean, but oddly sterile, not as if anyone has lived here recently; and she finds herself wondering how Huntress can have the keys to a house like this, morbidly wondering if perhaps, she’s killed the owners and simply has taken over.

_ I know who can help you _ , she remembers Renee’s words, and tells herself that surely Renee wouldn’t have sent her to some psycho killer who murders people to live in their house,  _ she’s capable and she’s got time. Goes by Huntress. _

Dinah figures that the woman is capable, just from how fit she looks and how she holds herself, she looks like she’s ready to fight at all times; and as she ponders this, Dinah realizes that, if this truly is the woman’s house, she certainly has time as well, because someone who can afford to live in a house with that must have more than enough money, enough so that earning a paycheck is not a necessity.

This train in thought in turn leads her to wonder who the woman actually is, if Renee knows her actual name, she hasn’t bothered to tell her; and Dinah knows that she can’t just ask her, but she’s eager to find out, and she hopes she’ll have a chance in the days to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah Dinah, hopefully you'll find out XD


	5. Chapter 5

In the next day, Dinah wakes to her phone vibrating on the nightstand, and as she blinks at the screen, she sees it’s a text from Cass, the girl asking her if she’s okay; Dinah quickly texts back she is and that she’ll see her tonight, she’s worried about what Sionis might do, but she won’t jeopardize her role because of him, determined to not let him frighten her into quitting.

Figuring she might as well get up, Dinah gets out of bed and stretches; she grimaces at how her back cracks, the bed is comfortable, but different to what she is used to, then she makes her way to the adjoining bathroom, not really surprised to see it is just as unused as her bedroom. 

As she showers, she wonders if Huntress is already up, and if not, if the sound of the shower is waking her up; once she’s done in the bathroom, she puts on fresh clothes, then steps out of the room and pauses to listen, raising an eyebrow when she hears faint music come from downstairs - she wouldn’t have guessed that Huntress is the type to listen to music, but she hasn’t seen evidence of anyone else living there, so she figures it has to be her.

Curious now, Dinah makes her way downstairs, following the sound; it leads her to a rather large kitchen, which looks like it belongs into a restaurant with all the equipment and appliances and not into some random house, but the music is coming from there, and Huntress is there, too, standing at the stove and stirring what appears to be egg, vegetables and ham in a pan, glancing at her when she enters, Dinah not really surprised that the woman has heard her approach.

“Good morning”, she says, earning a short nod in response, “that smells great, what is it?”

“Breakfast”, Huntress says, not very helpful, “there’s coffee over there, help yourself. Food’s gonna be done in a minute.”

“Thank you”, Dinah decides to remain polite even if the woman keeps being weirdly rude, if it had been anyone else, she would have been offended, but somehow, with Huntress, she just  _ knows _ that this is simply how Huntress  _ is _ , that she’s not rude to her because she dislikes her, but because she can’t help herself, perhaps doesn’t know any better.

She goes and helps herself to some coffee, and when she turns away from the coffee machine and towards the fridge, a framed photo on the wall next to it catches her eye, and she slows down to take a look at it, aware of Huntress watching her do so, but the taller woman doesn’t say anything, just lets her step closer and study the photo.

It’s an older photo, she can tell from the quality, and it shows what appears to be a happy family, well dressed mom and dad standing with their kids, one boy and one girl; the dad is vaguely familiar, but she can’t place where she knows him from, shrugging it off after a moment as she moves to sit down at the kitchen table.

She takes a sip of her coffee as she watches Huntress finish the food and move it from the pan onto two plates she has readied; Dinah thanks her again as she puts one of the plates down in front of her, letting out an appreciative hum when she tastes the first forkful of the meal.

“This is delicious”, she then tells Huntress, figuring it can’t hurt to be not only polite, but friendly, too, “very good, thank you.”

“Welcome”, Huntress mutters, glancing at her before she focuses on her food again; for a while, they’re eating in silence, then Dinah clears her throat, prompting Huntress to look up at her again.

“So”, the singer says, “how do you know Renee?”

“Work”, Huntress is not very talkative again, but Dinah isn’t willing to give up so fast; she can’t imagine the woman working as a cop, but still asks if she has been one, then, if only to keep the conversation going.

“No”, is all Huntress has to say to that, and Dinah feels a bit lost, she’s never talked to someone who’s so monosyllabic, and she’s not quite sure how to get the woman to say more.

“Okay”, she says, winning some time with another forkful of food, “so, this house. Nice. You know the people who own it?”

“It’s mine”, Huntress tells her, confirming what she already has suspected; she still raises an eyebrow, but the other woman doesn’t elaborate, and Dinah gives up for now, deciding to talk business instead of trying to make polite conversation.

“So, tonight”, she starts, Huntress glancing at her again, “I gotta go on stage again.”

“I know”, Huntress says, thankfully not protesting or trying to tell her to stay out of sight until the whole situation has been resolved, “I’ll go there with you. You’ll get me in with no trouble?”

“I suppose so”, Dinah lets her know, shrugging, “it’s not a big fancy production, no one on stage there is really famous, so security isn’t… big. Which is how Sionis’ goon could get in there and to my room in the first place.”

“He won’t make a move”, Huntress tells her matter of factly, Dinah giving her a questioning look in response, glad when this time at least, the woman elaborates, “he set you a deadline. Friday. He’ll wait until then, think you’re stewing in fear until then. It fits him.”

This is more words at once than Dinah has heard her say before, and she has to agree, it does make sense; it also makes her wonder though how well the woman knows Sionis, she knows the pleasant, charming face he always presents to the public, but clearly, Huntress knows what is behind that facade, if she can pinpoint his way of thinking so accurately.

“You’re right”, she says, her gaze straying to the photo again, she’s not quite sure why, but something about it has been nagging at the back of her mind, “but it won’t hurt to have you there. I don’t think Sionis will send someone tonight but…”

She falls silent and looks at the photo again, eyes narrowing; Huntress frowns as she watches her get up and make her way over to the framed picture, but again she doesn’t say anything, just watches how Dinah studies the photo, her eyes narrowing as her gaze focuses on the man in it.

She has seen him before, she’s sure of that now, and for a moment, she almost considers asking Huntress, she’s fairly certain that girl in the picture is her, she can tell from the eyes… and just when she starts to gather the courage to ask, it hits her, and she remembers, the headlines and the photos, eyes wide again when she turns around fast to stare at the other woman. 

“Holy shit”, she manages, Huntress looking back at her with her face perfectly neutral, but Dinah still knows she is waiting for her reaction, “that’s… you’re Helena Bertinelli.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *insert dramatic music here* XD


	6. Chapter 6

“Congrats”, Huntress says after a few seconds have ticked by in silence, going back to eating her breakfast as if Dinah hasn’t just figured out something rather big, “you figured it out, and quick, too. Took Montoya much longer than that, back in the day.”

“Holy shit”, Dinah says again, still somewhat stunned, the way Huntress -  _ Helena _ \- just looks back at her with perfect calm not exactly helping, “I’ve heard that one person survived the… shooting, back then. But I had no idea that person is now doing work on the side as a bodyguard.”

“I do many things”, Helena tells her, apparently not planning to elaborate though, “and I owed Renee a favour.”

“Lucky for me”, Dinah says, and this gets a visible reaction from Helena, as the taller woman raises her eyebrows; belatedly, Dinah realizes that her words could be taken the wrong way, and hurries to set this right, before her bodyguard might get the wrong idea.

“I mean that”, she quickly reassures the taller woman, “it is lucky, because damn, I do need someone to look out for me, with Sionis out for my head. And Renee said you’re capable, so…”

“I am”, Helena tells her, and it doesn’t sound cocky, she’s just stating a fact, “and to be capable, I need to go work out now. Feel free to roam the house. Yell if you need anything.”

Dinah just has time for a nod, then Helena is already up on her feet and leaves the room; the singer blinks, wondering if she has made her hasty exit because of what Dinah just has realized or if she would have done so either way, then shrugs it off and gets up as well, figuring she might as well take a closer look at the house.

The house is huge, she already has noticed that the previous evening, an actual mansion, and she hopes she won’t get lost; she finds what she can only refer to as a library, with shelves filled with books all the way to the ceiling and comfortable looking armchairs, a sort of entertainment room with an impressively large TV and stereo, and yet another bathroom, with an actual jacuzzi, Dinah feeling a bit jealous as the bathroom next to her bedroom doesn’t have one of those.

There’s also a couple rooms which clearly aren’t used, not dirty, but as oddly sterile as her bedroom has been when she has entered it for the first time; and all at once, Dinah finds herself imagining Helena all on her own in this huge house, wandering the empty rooms like some sort of mournful ghost, and her heart clenches up with unexpected sympathy for the woman. 

Figuring she might as well go back to her bedroom for now, Dinah makes a short detour to the library room, grabbing a bunch of books there before she returns to her room; she flops down onto the bed, not starting on one of the books though, but pulling out her phone instead and opening up Google.

_ Bertinelli _ , she starts typing, and Google is kind enough to suggest  _ Bertinelli Massacre _ as one of the most asked questions; Dinah makes a face at that, she has heard of the massacre - she doubts there is anyone in Gotham over the age of twelve who hasn’t - and she has heard that there has been one survivor, but she never has stopped to think what this might mean for the survivor in question.

Even though she feels bad for Helena already, she clicks on the suggestion, and the screen fills with the results; Dinah clicks on the first one and ends up on a newspaper article, detailing the massacre almost gleefully, describing in great detail how the whole family has been gunned down by a rival mob boss, and how only the daughter has survived, due to the sheer luck of standing somewhat behind her mother and being thought dead once the shooting had stopped. 

There’s no information about what Helena has done afterwards though, at least not in any articles about the massacre itself; and actually googling the woman’s name makes Dinah feel strangely intrusive, so she doesn’t do that, frowning to herself as another thought hits her.

It’s been made clear in the first article she has read that the other mob boss had been aiming to wipe out the entire family, and Helena’s survival has been a known fact back then; she wonders if this puts Helena in danger, and because googling the name of the mob boss in question doesn’t make her feel weird like with Helena’s name, she does that, raising her eyebrows at the results she gets this time.

_ Stefano Galante found dead in his home _ , the first headline she finds proclaims, the article which follows telling her that the man had been shot in his home two years ago, with a crossbow, of all things; Dinah finds herself wondering if Helena has done this - not that she could blame her, she thinks to herself, if this was the man who’s had her family killed - and how she has managed to not get caught, and she wonders if they ever will get to the point where she can ask Helena something like that.

For now, she decides she has learned enough about the massacre and the aftermath, and puts her phone aside, grabbing one of the books instead; she tries to focus on the printed words, but finds her thoughts drift off to Helena again and again, and she asks herself if there is anything she can do, if she should do anything or just see this a working relationship which will be over once the situation with Sionis has been resolved.

She stares at the page without actually reading as she thinks about these things, wonders if Helena is as lonely as she seems or if she actually has friends out there somewhere, relationships which are on hold now while she acts as Dinah’s bodyguard; Harley at least seems to have been somewhat friendly with her, Dinah remembers, but judging from their interactions so far, Helena isn’t exactly good at social interaction, with her short and sometimes downright rude responses.

_ Well, _ she tells herself, giving up on the book and putting it aside, finding the remote for the TV mounted to the wall across from the bed and switching it on,  _ even if she does have friends when she’s not doing bodyguard favours for Renee, it can’t hurt to be nice to her. Even if she’s rude. _

That sounds like a good idea to her, and she smiles to herself; perhaps, Dinah ponders, if they will be stuck together for the immediate future, she will actually be able to forge a sort of bond with the other woman, and she’s determined to at least try, even if it might be hard at first.

For now, she can only hope that Helena will let her, maybe will open up to her at some point, and that everything else about the mess she’s in will be resolved sooner rather than later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dinah: Time to become friends :D


	7. Chapter 7

In the evening, Dinah and Helena head out to the theater where the musical is being shown, together in Dinah’s car this time; Helena is quiet as the singer drives, staring out the window, and while Dinah does want to get to know her better, maybe get closer to her, she doesn’t say anything, either, keeping her focus on the road as she drives.

Helena eyes the venue once they have arrived there, apparently not happy with what she sees as she’s frowning to herself; and her frown even deepens when Dinah walks in and she simply follows along behind her, and none of the people they pass on the way to Dinah’s backstage room asks her who she is and what she is doing here, even though some at least are looking at her oddly.

“Security here is shit”, she declares once they have entered the room, Dinah just shrugging, she can’t really argue with that, “no one even bothered to ask who I am, what the fuck?”

“Who are you?” a third voice pipes up before Dinah can say something, and Helena spins around so fast it nearly makes the singer dizzy, Dinah’s eyes going wide when suddenly, there is a knife in Helena’s hand.

“No, no, no”, she quickly says, stepping forward and grabbing her arm without thinking; she’s looking at Helena, so she sees how her free hand clenches into a fist, apparently out of pure reflex, but she has enough self-control to not actually punch Dinah, the singer letting go of her after another second while Cassandra watches the scene unfold wide-eyed.

“This is Cass”, Dinah tells the taller woman, Helena briefly glancing at the clearly startled teen before her gaze focuses on the singer again, her eyes still hard and cold, “my, um, assistant.”

“Your assistant”, Helena repeats, Cass nodding quickly while Dinah lets out an agreeing noise, “seriously? She’s fourteen. That’s not even legal.”

“Shhh”, Dinah lets out, prompting the taller woman to raise her eyebrows while Cass now looks impressed, “we weren’t exactly honest about her age. You’re the first one to notice, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“I’m not surprised”, Helena snarks, and Dinah finds herself smiling a bit at her tone, “people here don’t pay attention. Now I know how Sionis’ goon could walk right to your door.”

“I still don’t know who you are”, Cass throws in, much less freaked out now, “wait, are you the help Renee was talking about? Huntress?”

“Yeah”, Helena confirms, Dinah taking note of how she quickly glances at her when Cass calls her Huntress, but Dinah doesn’t say anything, not pointing out that this is Helena Bertinelli, “I am.”

“You look badass”, Cass declares, Dinah smiling a bit again while the taller woman responds by sheathing her knife again, “but please don’t aim your knife at me again, I nearly shit myself.”

Dinah finds herself quite surprised by how the corners of Helena’s mouth twitch in response to that, the closest she’s ever seen her to smiling; she gives a brief nod, and Cass grins at her, her grin faltering though when Helena looks at Dinah again and speaks up.

“Sionis’ goon has seen her?” she wants to know, gesturing at the teenager; Dinah nods, and a moment later, she makes a face as well, not liking what Helena says, but knowing she’s making a good point. 

“Then she’s at risk, as well”, Helena lets her know, Cass going wide-eyed in response, the taller woman’s gaze moving from Dinah to her, “you should stay with Dinah, where I can keep an eye on both of you. Or Sionis might try to use you against her.”

“I’m staying at Huntress’... place”, Dinah throws in before Cass can agree without knowing that she actually doesn’t live at her home for the moment, “and I think she’s right, you should come there with us tonight, just to be on the safe side.”

Cass shrugs, then nods, she’s not making any comment about her foster parents, but Dinah knows enough about them to figure they won’t care much if she doesn’t come home after the show tonight, perhaps, she thinks to herself somewhat angrily, if they are in a drunken stupor again, they won’t even notice.

“Fine with me”, Cass says, “you got a place big enough for the three of us? No use hiding out in a tiny apartment so we’ll end up wanting to kill each other.”

“Oh, no worries about that”, Dinah says with a small laugh, “there’s more than enough room. Right, Huntress?”

“Right”, Helena confirms, giving Dinah a brief, but grateful glance, well aware of how the singer has avoided using her actual name in front of Cass; Dinah smiles at her for a moment, then tells them that she has to warm up now and they should wait outside.

“She never warms up with someone in the room”, Cassandra wisely lets Helena know as she leads the way to the door; Helena looks like she might want to protest for a moment, then looks around the small room and realizes there’s no space where anyone could have hidden, thus stepping outside with Cass, somewhat reluctant still, and stopping right outside the door.

“You gonna wait right here?” Cass wants to know, raising her eyebrows, “I usually go and get a snack while Dinah warms up.”

“I’ll wait”, Helena tells her, not able to hide her surprise when Cass asks if she should bring her a snack, then; she recovers quickly and shakes her head, the teenager shrugging before she wanders off, Helena remaining where she is, leaning against the wall next to the door and crossing her arms over her chest.

A few people walk past her, and glance at her, but once again no one asks her who she is; she can hear Dinah warm up her voice in the little room, figuring the singer will cry out if someone somehow has managed to hide in there and that it’s okay to wait out here, but that she shouldn’t get distracted.

“I’m back!” Cass announces her return, stopping in front of Helena and waving a candy bar in her face, “and here, I brought you this. I’d feel weird snacking right next to you, with you just standing there.”

“Oh”, Helena lets out, certainly not having expected that, taking the candy after a moment, “thank you…?”

“You’re welcome”, Cass grins at her, then leans against the wall next to her and unwraps her own candy bar; Helena does the same after a second, and they stand side by side in silence and eat their candy, until Cassandra is the one to speak up again.

“So”, she says, Helena glancing at her, “you’re a bodyguard then? For Dinah?”

“Yes”, Helena confirms, then falls silent, even though Cass looks at her expectantly, apparently waiting for her to say more; she starts feeling awkward, she’s never been good at smalltalk, but thankfully, Cass takes pity on her and speaks up again, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

“That’s dope”, she declares, and while Helena isn’t sure if that is a good thing, she nods anyway, “but you’re not very talkative, are you?”

“No”, Helena mutters, and even though she’s an adult and Cass is a teenager, she fully expects the girl to laugh at her now, and make fun of her; Cass just shrugs, then says “that’s cool” before she goes back to eating her candybar, Helena doing the same after another moment.

She’s not quite sure why, but she feels like this has been important, and she’s glad she hasn’t messed it up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, snacks XD


	8. Chapter 8

When it’s time for Dinah to go on stage, Helena insists on standing where she has a good view of both said stage and of the audience, she doesn’t think Sionis will make an attempt on Dinah’s life tonight, but it’s better to be safe than sorry; this does earn her some weird looks from people working behind the scenes, but again no one questions her, and while this lack of security works out in her favour, it also annoys her.

At least, she tells herself as she stands in a spot where she can keep an eye on Dinah and on the people watching the show, she can make sure Dinah is safe as the woman in question makes her way onto the stage; and a few seconds later, Helena is glad that Sionis’ deadline hasn’t arrived yet and she doesn’t really need to worry about the singer’s safety.

Because on stage, Dinah starts to sing, and all Helena can do is stand and stare, she’s honestly surprised her mouth doesn’t just fall open.

There’s more than one person singing on stage right now, but none of the other singers has that effect on her; it’s as if Dinah’s voice touching something deep inside her, in a way she hasn’t experienced in a long time, she can feel goosebumps form on her arms and her stomach clench oddly.

_ Shit, get it together _ , she scolds herself, forcefully looking away from Dinah and into the audience, thankfully not spotting anyone acting suspiciously,  _ she’s singing, that’s all. You’re a professional, so act like one. _

“She’s good, isn’t she”, a male voice comes from her left, and she tenses and gets ready to punch the guy before she realizes he is no threat, he’s not even looking at her, but has his gaze on the stage, smiling to himself as he watches Dinah dance and sing.

“I casted her”, he added, now looking at Helena after all, “after I saw her at this dreadful club. I’m Jerome. And you are?”

“A friend”, Helena tells him, at once deciding to not let him know who she is and why really is here, she’s not quite sure why, but it feels like it might be a bad idea, “she invited me here.”

“Ah”, he lets out, and from how he raises his eyebrows, Helena can instantly tell he doesn’t believe her, she might not be very talkative, but she knows when someone is suspicious of her or perceives her as a threat, and she knows that is the case with this man, even before he goes on, “that’s interesting, because I’ve been told that Dinah’s assistant has asked you if you’re her bodyguard and you have confirmed that.”

Helena decides to say nothing, just shrugs, prompting the man to let out a sigh; for a moment, he lifts his hand as if to touch her, but takes note of how her gaze immediately hardens as she looks at his hand, and he lowers it again, apparently changing his mind. 

“Look”, he then says with a sigh, fidgeting when Helena just keeps looking back at him, face perfectly neutral, “I’m not your enemy here, okay? I don’t know how much you know about the guy she worked for before, but he’s not a very good guy, and it can’t hurt to have someone look out for her, until he gets bored and finds something else to be pissed about. Just do me the favour and keep it on the downlow, don’t go around telling people you’re her bodyguard, I don’t want the others here to freak out. Okay?”

“...fine”, Helena agrees after a moment, he seems genuine enough and looks honestly relieved at her agreement, “we got a deal. You make sure I can do my work here and I’ll keep quiet about why I’m here.”

“Just go with the friend thing”, Jerome advises, looking a bit less tense when Helena nods her agreement to that, “and let me know if there is anything I can do to help.”

“Security”, Helena tells him at once, and he raises his eyebrows in response, “it has to get better. Sionis’ goon could just walk in here and threaten her. I could just walk in here with her, no one questioned that.”

“We are a small production”, he sighs in response, not really surprising her, but it’s still not ideal, and from the look on his face, he knows, “we can’t really afford any extra security. And honestly, I didn’t think it was necessary. I don’t suppose you could…?”

“I’m working for Dinah”, Helena tells him bluntly, and he makes a face, “so first and foremost, I have to look out for her. But I suppose I can keep an eye out in general, when I’m here.”

“Thank you”, Jerome says with a small sigh, then smiles at her, “no offense, but you do look capable, so that might help already. Let me know if there is anything else I can do.”

Helena gives a brief nod, and apparently, the man is satisfied with that, as he smiles a slightly nervous smile at her, then excuses himself and retreats; and with him gone, Helena can focus on the stage again, just in time to see that Dinah is about to make her exit.

“Hey”, the singer greets her as she joins her, smiling at her, “thankfully that went well huh, no need for you to storm onto the stage and dramatically take a bullet for me.”

“Fortunately”, Helena dryly says, Dinah letting out a small snort at her tone, only to end up being surprised when the taller woman goes on, “and, um… you were… really good.”

“Oh”, Dinah lets out, she really hasn’t expected the stoic woman to make any comments about her singing, let alone compliment her, “thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

Her surprise only grows when Helena actually smiles at her in response, just for a few seconds, but enough to let her see and notice it; she smiles back at her, then clears her throat and tells her she has to get some water before her next scene, earning a brief nod from the other woman. 

“Already got it here”, Cassandra practically pops up out of nowhere, Helena tensing noticeably for a second before she realizes who it is and relaxes again, Dinah giving her a brief, but impressed look, having taken of how fast she was on high alert, once more showing that it has been a good idea to ask her for help.

“Thanks”, the singer says to Cass as she accepts the bottle; Helena watches her drink, and for a moment, Dinah almost expects her to ask if she has bought that bottle herself or if anyone but Cass and her has access to it, but she doesn’t, and Dinah is momentarily surprised again - before she realizes that Helena knows about Sionis as well, enough at least to be aware of how he ticks, and poison surely wouldn’t be his style.

“Alright”, she says as she hands the bottle back to Cass, “almost time for my next scene, I’ll see you guys later.”

Both Helena and Cassandra nod, and Dinah moves back to the edge of the stage, waiting for her queue there; Helena keeps her eyes on the singer, aware of Cassandra watching her more than Dinah, but not acknowledging that for now, after all, Dinah is her client and not the teenager, even if Cass always is around whenever Dinah works here.

On stage, Dinah starts singing again, and once again, Helena is awestruck; next to her, Cass raises her eyebrows, then grins, something Helena is completely unaware of this time as her focus is fully on Dinah, she wouldn’t have been able to look away if she had wanted to, and she certainly doesn’t want to.

“She’s awesome”, Cass comments next to her, “the best on that stage, I’m sure.”

Helena can only nod, not looking away still, and Cass smirks to herself as she takes note of how the woman watches Dinah, she’s seen others awestruck at Dinah’s singing, but no one ever has looked as stunned as Helena does right now.

It’s cute in a way, she ponders as she looks at Dinah again as well, and she makes a mental note to tell her about this first chance she gets, figuring it can’t hurt to have Dinah know about this and wanting to see her reaction, if only so the singer knows Helena appreciates her skill, something which surely will be a good thing when they’ll be more or less forced to spend more time together in the days to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Helena, all awestruck XD


End file.
